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Patented January 12, 1904.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM B. S. HUSSA, OF WEST HQBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

FLDABLE STOOL- SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,675, dated January 12, 1904.

I Application filed April 24, 1903- Sarial No. 154,132. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. S. HUSSA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Foldable Stool, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in foldable stools; and the object that I have in IQ view is to provide a simple, cheap, and strong construction in which all of the parts may be packed in a hollow member which in the assembled condition of said parts forms an essential part of the stool structure, whereby I5 the article may be easily carried in the hand or in a pocket.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined .by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of, this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theifigures.

5 Figure 1 is an elevation looking at one side of the stool. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking in a direction at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is an enlarged view showing the end portion of the hollow member and the method of ar- 3 ranging the legs and seat-posts therein. Fig.

.4: is a longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the hollow member, showing the arrangement of one group of legs and seat-posts.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View illustrating the method of arranging the several detachable parts within the hollow member. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing one of the legs with the parts complemental thereto. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of different forms 4 of foot -pieces, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing one of the seat-rails fitted to a seat-post.

5 designates a hollow member adapted to have the groups of legs 6 6 and the groups of seat-posts 7 7 a connected detachably thereto, said member also serving as a casing or receptacle for the several detachable and attachable parts comprising the stool.

The member 5 is represented by the draw- 5 ings in the form of a cylindrical casing which is closed at one end by a permanent head,

the other end of said casing being open and interiorly screw-threaded, as at 8, for the reception of athreaded cap or head 9, the latter being screwed detachably to said open end of the casing. The casing is provided with an interior reinforcement or reinforcements, and at each end said casing has a plurality of apertures 10 and 11, through which are passed the seat-posts 7 7 and the legs 6 6, substantially as shown by Figs. 3 and 4. The reinforcement just referred to is shown by Fig. 4 as extending lengthwise of the hollow member or casing 5, saidreinforcement being in the form of a hollow core 12, secured in the memher 5 in a suitable way and provided with ofisets 13. (Shown more clearly by Fig. 3.) These offsets 13 are provided with openings or sockets which aline with the openings 10 11 in the member orcasing 5, and the offset formation 7 of said reinforcement provides enlarged bearings for the inner ends of the legs and seat posts. It is evident, however, that the particular reinforcement which may be employed is not material, the object being to secure the enlarged bearing for the legs and seat-posts.

A .pair of seat-posts 7 7 is provided at each end of the hollow member, and the seat-posts of each pair are disposed in upwardly-diverging relation, substantially as shown by Figs. 8c land 3. The lower ends of the seat-posts pass through the end portions of the hollow member so as to cross one another, as shown by Fig. 3, the lower portion of each post having bearing at two points in the hollow mem- 5 ber and the reinforcement therein.

T0 the upper ends of the posts 7 7 are detachably fitted the seat-rails 14 15, which support a pliable seat 16, which may be made of canvas or any other suitable material. The end por- 9 tions of the seat are secured to the seat-rails in any suitable way, and these rails, with the seats, may be rolled compactly together when the rails are detached from the seat-posts. Each seat-rail is provided with an inclined socket 17, which opens through the lower face of the rail, and is closed at its. upper end, substantially as shown by Fig. 9. The upper end of a seat-post is adapted to be thrust into this socket for the purpose of detachably connect- 1 ing the seat-rail to the seat-post; but the desired movement of the seat-rail on said post is limited by the engagement of the upper end of said post with the closed end of the socket 17, as will be readily understood. A

Two pairs of legs 6 6 are connected detachably to the respective end portions of the hollow member 5 and to the reinforcement-offsets 13 therein. The upper ends of the legs forming each pair extend to an end portion of the hollow member and through the reinforcement-offsets, so as to have two bearings in the tubular member, the upper ends of said legs being disposed in crossing relation and adjacent to the crossed lower portions of the pair of adjacent seat-posts, substantially as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. It will be understood that the legs of each pair diverge downwardly from the hollow member, thus spreading the legs in a way to form an enlarged chair-base. Each leg is provided near its lower portion with a shoulder 17 against which is adapted to bear a foot-piece 18, said foot-piece having a legreceiving opening or slot 19. The foot-piece 18 may be made in the form of a circular plate, substantially as shown by Fig. 7, or it may be cast in one piece in the shape shown by Fig. 8.

If the stool is to be used at the seashore or on the ground, I prefer to employ the footpieces in the form of disks, (shown by Fig. 7,) because these foot-pieces will afford a large bearing-surface which adapts them to serve as soil-shoes in preventing the stool from sinking in the sand or earth. The foot-pieces also serve as the means for connecting a series of stays by which the several parts of the stool may be thoroughly braced, substantially as shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 6 of the drawings. It is to be understood that the legs are provided near their lower ends with the footpieces, and these foot-pieces have engagement with the shoulders 17 to limit the slidable movement of said foot-pieces on said legs in upward directions.

The foot-pieces are connected in series by horizontal stays 20, which are provided at their end portions with hooks 21, adapted to fit into apertures 22, which are provided in said foot-pieces. These foot-pieces are also provided with other apertures 23, adapted to receive the hooks 2 1'at the lower ends of vertical stays 25, the latter being shown as having rings 26, which are fitted over the seat-rails 14 15 at the end portions thereof. The horizontal stays 2O prevent the legs 6 6 from spreading in any direction, and the vertical stays 25 serve to connect the seat-rails 14: 15 with the foot-pieces in a way to minimize the tendency of the stool to sway back and forth under the weight of an occupant. The horizontal stays are thus detachably connected to the foot-pieces, which in turn are detachably fitted to the legs, and these parts may thus be easily removed when it is desired to fold the stool for transportation. The vertical be detached readily from the seat-rails and the foot-plates, so that they may be folded along with other parts of thejstool.

Assuming that the stool is in its set-up condition (shown by Figs. 1 and 2) and that it is desired to pack the several parts within the receptacle afforded by the hollow member, the operator proceeds to disconnect the several parts by removing the stays 20 from the footpieces, the stays from the rails and the foot-pieces, and remove the seat-rails from the seat-posts. The posts 7 7 are now withdrawn from the sockets afforded by the ends of the hollow member, and the legs 6 6 are also removed, thus allowing the several parts to be folded or rolled compactly and placed collectively or individually within the chamber of the hollow member 5, substantially as represented by Fig. 5. The foot-pieces 18 may be fitted into the open end portion of the hollow member after the legs and seat are placed therein, substantially as represented by Figs. 4: and 5, and finally the screw cap or head 9 may be attached to the open end of the casing, so as to prevent displacement of the parts. When it is desired to set the stool up for use, the several parts thereof should be withdrawn from the casing or hollow member after the head 9 shall have been detached. The operator now proceeds to place the legs and the seatposts in the sockets ofthe hollow member. The seat-rails are fitted to the posts, and the footpieces are fitted to the legs, after which the horizontal and vertical stays are coupled to the parts in the manner heretofore described.

I do not desire to strictly confine myself to the employment of horizontal and vertical stays, because these parts may be omitted; but the strength and durability of the article is promoted by using the stays or their equivalents in the manner herein specified.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A foldable stool comprising a hollow member provided near its end portions with sockets, pairs of seat-posts and legs each fitted detachably to said sockets of the member, and a seat having means for detachably supporting the same on the seat-posts; said legs, posts and seat being foldable compactly, and adapted to be housed within a receptacle aiforded by said hollow member.

2. A foldable stool comprising a hollow member provided with sockets, pair of legs and seat-posts fitted detachably to said socketed portions of the hollow member, a seat, and seat-rails attached to the seat and fitted detachably to the seat-posts.

3. A foldable stool comprising a hollow member having reinforcements and sockets at its end portions, a closure for one end of said hollow member, pairs of seat-posts, legs fitted detachably to the socketed and reinforced end portions of said hollow member, and a seat having rails adapted to be fitted detachably to said posts.

4. A foldable stool comprising a hollow member having a reinforcement provided with offsets, legs and seat-posts fitted detachably to the member and its ofiset reinforcements, and a pliable seat having means for detachably connecting the same with said posts.

5. A foldable stool having a hollow memher, legs and seat-posts fitted detachably to said member, a seat connected with said posts, foot-pieces fitted detachably to the legs, and a series of vertical stays attached to said footpieces and to the seat.

6. A stool having legs provided with shoulders, foot-pieces fitted to said legs and engaging with said shoulders, and two series of stays attached to said foot-pieces, the stays of one series having their respective ends connected to adjacent foot-pieces, and the stays of the other series rising upwardly from the footpieces and attached to parts of the stool.

7 A foldable stool having a series of legs, foot-pieces fitted individually to said legs and held thereon against movement in one direction, a series of horizontal stays connected detachably to said foot-pieces, and vertical stays each having detachable connection with one foot-piece and with parts of the chair.

8. A foldable stool comprising a hollow member, pairs of legs fitted detachably thereto, pairs of seat-posts also fitted detachably to said member, seat-rails having detachable connection with the seat-posts, and a seat supported by the rails; said hollow member in the assembled position of the parts lying trans- 

